


Dear Little Elf Girl

by inadistantworld



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Character Development, Friendship, Letters, Post-Campaign
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 22:17:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17816534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inadistantworld/pseuds/inadistantworld
Summary: Tary writes a letter to Vex while he's on his way to his next adventure.





	Dear Little Elf Girl

**Author's Note:**

> I had hoped to write something similar to this if I had gotten into the Folk Tales of Exandria zine, but I don't have to dump the idea just because I didn't get in. I'm going to become a better writer so that I don't have to miss out on more opportunities like this. I can't wait to see what fantastic work these writers put out for the zine and hopefully next time I've grown enough to be a part of it.

_Dear Little Elf Girl,_

_I’m writing to tell you the latest horrors and trials I find myself in with the Darrington Brigade._

Taryon looked up from his spot beside the campfire to stare out into the dark for a moment, his eyes searching for movement before turning back to the page.

He was different now. He was still golden and pretty and so obviously Tary, but his armor was scuffed and dented, his hair pulled back from his face but without the perfection he usually achieved, and more than anything else he was hardened. Not as lean and strong as the other adventurers who had joined him, but more than he had been when he met Vox Machina in Marquet and more than he had been when they parted ways for him to pursue his new goals. There was an air about him that spoke of mistakes learned the hard way.

_In the time since I last wrote to you I have spent every night sleeping on pointed rocks that I can’t seem to get rid of, in a tent that can hardly keep out the rain, and with two members of the Brigade who snore louder than Grog._

As if on queue Kiff let out a sound that must have alerted half the country to their whereabouts. Tary paused again to look about before he smiled, shook his head, and went back to his letter.

_And if that wasn’t bad enough, adventuring is not the lucrative business you had led me to believe. We hardly have the funds to keep a handful of healing potions on us which is rather unfortunate considering how difficult it is to find someone who can use healing magic. I had never realized that it was such a rare skill, almost everyone in Vox Machina could heal at least a little bit but here we can’t seem to find anyone willing to go on grand adventures with us who can._

_It leaves me, their brave and experienced leader, often being the last one to take a potion. I swear, every morning I wake with new aches and pains. It is for the greater good, though, my team needs these things much more than I do and I learned from Keyleth that a great leader is often willing to sacrifice._

Tary rubbed his knee absentmindedly. He had taken a bad hit a few nights ago and while he could have taken something for it he had waved his friends off. His knee was fine, sore and bruised, but not worth taking a potion over. They’d been through enough close calls for Tary to value keeping a back up potion to wake someone up. Still, his knee hurt. As did many other parts of him these days.

Tary dipped his quill again, more for a chance to think about what to say next than anything else, and a pink scar on the back of his hand caught the light of campfire. He wasn’t entirely sure where it had come from. He thought about Vex and Keyleth and Pike and Vax who would have healed it before it had the chance to scar, or even just the plethora of healing potions they had but always seemed to forget about.

_Fame is taking its time with us and I find myself wondering if Vox Machina’s beginnings were this humble. I would find it hard to believe, they’ve heard of you all the way in Zedash. But it is only a matter of time before they hear about the Darrington Brigade out in Emon, so perhaps your climb to fortune was just as treacherous._

It seemed the name Darrington was not quite as well-known to rural towns in need as he had hoped. Those who did know his name didn’t seem to be nearly as impressed as they should have been. He’d written a rather astounding resume describing his many accomplishments as well as a list of references from the people he and his Brigade had helped.

Armus Grennen, his son had gone in search of “Armor of Invulnerability” in one of the caves not far off and hadn’t returned. They’d found the boy, killed the evil sorcerer, and found the “Armor”. Apparently translation errors through the ages changed it from “Armoire of Invulnerability”. They had found a very lovely wardrobe completely invulnerable to any attacks, magical or otherwise. His mother had loved it.

Hol Rutsk, he had asked them to help fake his death so he could leave a dark underworld he no longer had any interest in being a part of. They accidentally ended up almost killing him in the process, but they set him up with a lovely new life. Unfortunately this meant they had to use an alias on the resume so it didn’t hold a terrible amount of merit.

Ellys Hesci, a noble lady who asked them to quietly investigate the murder of her brother. She had staged a formal ball with all of the suspects, leads, and friends who she believed were worth talking to and the Brigade had gone undercover in fancy suits and dresses to secretly uncover the truth. And in an extremely dramatic fashion, they confronted her own fiancé who had killed her brother for threatening to tell Lady Hesci that he had been cheating on her.

The entire town of Silverwood, well. What part of the town wasn’t part of the cult. There had been a circus of monsters and a cult that was trying to summon something very very bad at the cost of the townspeople not involved with the cult. That was supposed to be a relaxing weekend too, Tary was particularly proud of that one. Not much sounded better than “We stopped a cult from summoning an incredibly powerful being from beyond the stars. Oh, and we saved the town.”

There were plenty others that Tary had on the list, plenty adventures he and the Brigade had gone on and plenty of people they had saved. But no matter what amazing things they did or how many people they saved, no matter what was added to the ever-growing list, the first name on it was Vanni Hardkeep, a young girl whose cat, Buttons, had gone missing. It was then, when Tary placed an unharmed (if wet) Buttons in Vanni’s hands that someone first called him a hero without the incredible Vox Machina at his side.

_Even those of us destined to be the greatest heroes of all time still have to build our reputation._

_The members of the Darrington Brigade are full of passion and fighting spirit. They remind me of myself when I met all of you in Marquet, though with much less wit and charm. While they are eager to prove themselves and help those in need, they came to me without experience or any particular skills. They are improving, though it might be a while before they are at our level. As the veteran adventurer and their bold, powerful, intelligent leader, I have taught them so much and am enormously proud of their progress into real adventurers. My only wish is that one day you could all understand how it feels to watch someone go from fundamentally useless to a competent and experienced person you can call a friend._

A hand on his shoulder stopped him from continuing his letter. It was the friendly, if tired, face of one of his merry band. He urged Tary to sleep and let him take the final watch and Tary put his work away and found his tent where a sharp rock he couldn’t seem to find or get rid of dug into his back for the entire night.

 

_I have had to put my book on hold while I am without Doty._

A bump in the road jostled Tary’s hand, but he was practiced enough to keep the tip of his pen from making unwanted marks on the page. He was sitting in the back of the cart with most of his group as they rode along. Two of them were sitting up front with the reins, chatting as they guided the Brigade to the next town to help someone in need.

_I simply don’t have the ability to write my adventures in the moment without him. I’ve taken to keeping a journal where I relay the events of the day without my artistic flare so I may remember it when I finish constructing the next version of Doty. For now, though, I am left only to live in the moment as fully as possible so I may remember it when it comes time to write my book._

Doty had been more than the method he wrote his book with, though, and things had become harder now that Tary didn’t have a large metal man to aid him in fights. Change had been necessary. He was thankful to Percival for many reasons but teaching him the basics of sword fighting had saved his life many times over now that he was with the Brigade.

He had to take a much more aggressive style in his fights now. While he was no Grog, running into the fight and shrugging off hits like they were nothing, he was a different man, one that could stand on his own. It was something he had factored into his new plans for Doty.

_Speaking of Doty, I am also writing a letter for Percival with some diagrams and designs for a new one. I have some really grand ideas but I’m sure Percy will have plenty of wonderful additions._

Tary stopped writing for a little while to eat and talk with his friends. He would never have admitted it, but he was trying to prolong the more nerve wracking part of his letter. Vex’ahlia was his best friend though. If anyone would be able to help him pull himself together it would be her.

_I found Lawrence again. Completely by accident, though I’ve read enough books to know it was fate. I’m out on a job right now, we’ve heard about a town having some issues, but when we’re finished here Lawrence wants to spend some time together and catch up. Vex’ahlia, my dear friend, I have no idea what I could even say and I only have half of an outfit planned (though I might also ask Pike what I should wear in her letter as well, but it is your opinion I value the most). I hope your reply has some good advice, it’s all I’ve been able to think about for the last three days._

_If I plan to finish everyone else’s letter and have them sent out while we are in town then I should sign off on this one. I love you and I miss you and I am grateful to have met such a wonderful friend. No matter the distance I am always here for you, Vex’ahlia. Should you ever need me there is a man who owes me a favor and has access to teleportation magic, Whitestone is only a word away._

_Wishing you all the best,_

_Taryon Darrington_


End file.
